July Cover Revealed: Respawn Entertainment's Titanfall

Three years after a messy divorce with Activision, the minds that made Call of Duty the biggest game on the planet are finally taking the veil off their EA-backed project coming exclusively to Microsoft consoles and PC. Respawn Entertainment's ambitious Titanfall rewrites the rules to multiplayer by injecting the memorable water cooler moments typically found in single-player games directly into competitive matches. Our cover story delves into the the bitter break-up between Activision and Infinity Ward, recounts the scary proposition of starting from scratch with brand new technology, and explores how the team at Respawn is leveraging the unique capabilities of the Xbox One to deliver a next-gen sci-fi experience.

Titanfall takes place in the far reaches of the galaxy where human settlers have formed self-sustaining cities on distant planets. When the Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC) makes inroads to secure the valuable natural resources of these regions, battle lines quickly form between a ragtag militia driven by the wish to protect the settlements and the unsympathetic capitalist juggernaut. On foot, players assume the role of pilots, highly trained soldiers that move with an agility normally reserved for superheroes. If you surive in battle long enough you can call in a Titan, a massive mech-like vehicle that moves and handles with a responsivnesss on par with a traditional shooter experience. The cat-and-mouse dynamic between Titans and pilots is the heart of the Titanfall combat.

The only next-gen console featuring Titanfall is Xbox One. The game is also coming to PC and 360, though the current-gen version is being developed by another studio hand-picked by Respawn.

In addition to our Titanfall blowout, the July issue dives into the particulars with the Xbox One, checks in with the stars of Indie Game: The Movie to see what they are up to now, and features brand new previews for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Need For Speed: Rivals, Skylanders: Swap Force, and Harmonix's new Disney-inpsired title, Fantasia.

Check out the full covers below:

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